NEW YORK (AP) — Boston Red Sox rookie left-hander Payton Tolle will start Tuesday night’s AL Wild Card Series opener against the New York Yankees and will be followed in the rotation for the best-of-three series by right-hander Sonny Gray and left-hander Ranger Suarez.
Red Sox manager Chad Tracy made the announcement Monday, a day after Yankees manager Aaron Boone said right-hander Cam Schlittler will start Game 1 and be followed by left-hander Max Fried and right-hander Gerrit Cole.
Tolle was 9-6 with a 3.03 ERA in 26 starts, striking out 171 in 148 2/3 innings. The 23-year-old pitched against the Yankees twice this year, holding New York to an .093 batting average with a 0.69 ERA. He allowed one run and four hits and struck out 18 with three walks in 13 innings.
Tolle faced one batter in last year’s AL Wild Card Series, retiring Trent Grisham in the ninth inning of New York’s Game 2 win.
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